Summer Reading Assignment for English 11H
Title: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Assignment: Prepare for a Socratic Seminar that will take place within the first
week of school by doing the following (25 points total):
1. Read the play carefully.
2. As you read, keep a large index card (or sheet of notebook paper) in the book. Use the index card to
keep track of significant quotes and moments— approximately 10 (with pg. #s) — that relate to the
following essential question:
What is unique or surprising about the characters’ relationship to truth? (10 points)
3. Write 5 discussion questions according to the guidelines below (15 points):
WORLD CONNECTION QUESTION:
Write a question connecting the text to the real world.
OPEN--‐ENDED QUESTION:
Write an insightful question about the text that will require proof and group discussion and "construction
of logic" to discover or explore the answer to the question.
UNIVERSAL THEME/ CORE QUESTION:
Write a question dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will encourage group discussion about the
universality of the text.
LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTION:
Write a question dealing with HOW an author chose to compose a literary piece. How did the author
manipulate point of view, characterization, poetic form, archetypal hero patterns, for example?
CLOSE--‐ENDED QUESTION:
This question is reserved for something you are confused about, but that you know there is a right answer
for. This question will help everyone in the class come to an agreement about events or characters in the
text. This question usually has a "correct" answer.
*This assignment is in addition to the District Summer Reading Assignment